One of my favourite desserts is plain/natural yogurt with frozen or warmed berries and currants with granola. I love the tart and sweet together, and it's healthy enough that I don't feel bad eating it every night. I was getting my daily dose of probiotics from the yogurt and antioxidants from the berries, and I would feel good after eating it.
Then my 6 month old developed eczema about 3 months ago, around the same time he started sucking on his hands and drooling a lot. I thought that maybe he was teething, but he still has no teeth. After speaking with a few people, and looking things up online, we suspected a possible milk allergy/intolerance might be contributing to his terribly dry, red skin. Since I breastfeed, I cut dairy out of my diet for a week. His skin improved quite a bit, but cutting out dairy also meant cutting out my probiotics, and I was definitely feeling the effects. So, I ate some yogurt a week later, and the next day, my boy's eczema flared up. So, I quit dairy products again, and started searching for a way to get my probiotics without dairy.
I found a few recipes online for soy yogurt, which were all about the same. I ended up using this recipe. Of course, I've made a couple changes. I used a non-electric yogurt maker that I was given a few months ago. I also prefer to heat the soy milk on low heat in a saucepan instead of in the microwave.
I've attempted to make yogurt before, but it never quite turned out. This time I bought a natural soy yogurt from the grocery store to use as the starter. I also bought a candy thermometer, which means that I can add the yogurt at the optimal temp to ensure it sets. The yogurt maker I have is essentially a large thermos with an insert to set the container on. I pour boiling water into the thermos so the water comes ups around the container of yogurt a few inches. Then I cover it with the lid, and wait for 10-12 hours. I was so excited when I opened up the yogurt contained to find this for the first time:
I successfully made soy yogurt. As you can see, it sets pretty solid, and I prefer a more creamy texture, so, as shown at the top, I use a stick blender to make it smooth and creamy. Then I enjoy it with berries and granola, and my tummy is happy.
